Rail lubricating device



June 21, 1932. H. s. BECKER RAIL LUBRICATING DEVICE Filed Jan. 8, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 21, 1932. H. G. BECKER RAIL LUBRICATING DEVICE Filed Jan. 8, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES HARRY G. BECKER, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK RAIL LUBitIcATrnG DEViGE Application filed January 8, 1931. Serial No. 507,472.

This invention relates to rail lubricating devices and more particularly to devices of this type which are employed in applying a fluid medium to the rails of a railway track for cleaning them and for reducing the friction between said rails and the trailing wheels of a train passing thereover.

It has heretofore been proposed to employ a jet of steam or water from the boiler of the locomotive with which to wash thecr'ushed sandfrom the rails after the sand has served its purpose of providing increased traction for the driving wheels of the locomotive; and these means have also been employed for the purpose of lubricating the rails to reduce the frictional resistance to the movement of the train, especially when the train is rounding acurve. One of the objections to the use of steam or water from the boiler in thisconnection is that such use constitutes a very considerable drain on the boiler and detracts seriously from the power of the locomotive when the rail washing device is "applied fre-' quently or for considerable periodsof time,

as is the tendency during hard pulls.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved device for cleaning and lubricating the rails which is operable either alone or in conjunction with a track sander of any desired type.

Another object ofthe invention is the provision of a rail cleaning and lubricating device of this general type which employs, as the cleaning and lubricating fluid, water obtained directly from. the supply carried in the tank provided for that purpose in the locomotive tend-er. l Further, more specific objects of the invention comprise the provision of means for actuating the cleaning and lubricating device; means for applying increased force to the jet of cleaning fluid; and means for suspending portions of the device from the body of the vehicle to which it is applied.

Other objects and features of novelty will be apparent from the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which one embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of ex- 59 ample.

In the drawings: I

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevationof a locomotiveand tender to which the novel rail washer and lubricator has been applied e i 56.

Figure 2 is a view in rear, elevation of'a portion of the locomotive tender shown in Figure l;

FigureB is a top plan view of the combined valveand ejector member forming part of the 60 improved rail cleaner and lubricator;

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view ofjthe same; and V t Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional viewtaken on line 5-5 of Figure 4. i 66 The railway vehicle illustrated by way of example inFigure lccomprises a locomotive 10 and a tender 11. The device forming the subject" of the present invention may be applied to any type oflocomotive, and the par- 70 ticular one illustrated in. the drawings is provided with the usual cab 12, driving wheels. 13,,cylinders 14, and sand box 15. The tender 11 is provided with the usual fuelbin 16 and water tank 17. One of the front wheels of 76 the tender is illustratedin Figure 1 atv18and one of the rear wheels is shown at 19. The track rails are shown at 20 in Figuresl and2.

As illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings, a sand pipe 23 is provided to place the outlet 80 9A, of the sand box 15 in communication with the usual nozzle 25 which is carried immediately in advance of one of the driving wheels 13 and is designed to direct the sand toward the surface of the rail in orderrto provide 8 increased traction for the driving wheels.

7 As inthe usual practice. the piping 26 is pro- .or auxiliary propulsionunit to the front or rear truck of the tender. Therefore, in order to supply asuitable cleaning and lubricating medium to the rails behind the rearmost of the wheels of the locomotive which may conceivably be used as driving wheels and also in order to be disposed in convenient proximity to the water tank of the locomotive tender, the nozzle of the railcleaning and lubricating device is preferably suspended from the rear end of the underframe 31 of the tender and directed toward the track rearwardlv of the rear wheel 19. The conduit 32 leading to the nozzle 30 from the water supply is provided with a guide block 33 which somewhat resembles a brake shoe, being provided with a groove 34 adapted to enclose a portion of the flange 35 of the wheel 19 for the pur-- pose of maintaining the nozzle in position directly above the head of the rail. A safety chain 36 serves to connect the guide block 33 with the underframe 31 of the tender and is designed to retain the block 33 and its associated conduit and nozzle in the event of its becoming disengaged from the wheel. flange in thecab of the locomotive within convenient reach of the engine driver and serves to selectively place the fluid pressure supply pipe 27 in communication with the pipe 26 leading tothe track sander or the pipe 42 leadingto the rail cleaning and lubricating device or to both of them. Thus, the engine driver may at will employ the sanding device alone. actuate the rail cleaner for washing the crushed sand from the rails rearwardly of the driving wheels or employ the cleaning'and lubricating device for reducing the frictional resistance to the forward movement of the train at any time during the progress thereof along the track. As shown in Figure 2, it is preferred that two of these cleaning and lubricating devices be employed, one on either side ofthe tender, for applying cleaning fluid to both rails of the track.

As shown in detail in Figures 3 and 4 ofthe drawings, the casing of the combined rail cleaning and lubricating device 40 is provided witha preferably circular flange which is applled to the margin of the opening 41 in the water tank. Perforations 46 are provided in flange 45 for the reception of suitable securing elements, such as rivets 47, and a gasket 48 is disposed between the flange 45 and the margins of the opening 41. The upper portion of the member 40 is'provided with a boss 49 which projects within the opening 41 and is provided with the annular ledge 50 beneath which is provided the valve chamber 51. A removable bushing or plug 52 is threaded or otherwise inserted within the opening 53 formed centrally of the ledge 50. A squared top portion 54 is provided on this bushing for purposes of application and removal thereof. A series of parti-annular perforations 55 are formed in the ledge 50 for admitting water to the valve chamber 51. An annular valve seat 56 is provided in the chamber 51 with which the valve member 57 is adapted to cooperate. The valve body 57 is provided with a guide 58 adapted to reciprocate within the opening 59 in the bushing or plug 52 and the valve body is further provided with a valve stem 60 upon the end of which is formed or secured the piston 61. Be neath the valve seat 56 the casing is bored to provide the chamber 62 within which the piston 61 is adapted to move and which is in communication above the piston 61 with the side passageway 64. The passageway 64 terminates in the outlet passageway 65 formed in the casing into which is threaded the nipple 66 which carries an angle 67 to which the conduit 32 is adapted tobe connected.

. The fluid pressure supply pipe 42 is adapted to be connected to the casing of the member 40 as at 69. Leading from this connection 69 is the pressure fluid passageway 70 from which a branch conduit or duct 71 leads to the piston chamber 62 at a point beneath the piston 61. An ejector nozzle 72 is threaded within the interior end of the passageway 70 as at 73 and its restricted orifice 74 is directed into the interior of the nipple 66 3 which is provided with a Venturi constriction 75. From the above described construction, it will be readily seen that upon actuation of the cab valve 43 to supply the device 40 with pressure fluid, said fluid will flow through the passageways 76. 71 into the chamber 62 and will serve to move the piston 61 and thus'open the valve 56. 57 against the pressure of the water in the tender tank and permitting the water to flow past the valve 57 through the passageways 64. 65 and thence out through the connections 66, 67 and finally through the nozzle 30. It will be seen also that by means of the ejector 7 27 5. the velocity of the water passing to the nozzle 30 will be considerably increased so as to effectively remove foreign substances from the rail and thoroughly lubricate the same prior to the'passage of the trailing wheels of the I and modifications may be made in the embodiment herein illustrated and described without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Having thus describedthe invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, in combination, means for sanding the rail, means for supplying a cleaning fluid to the rail, and fluid pressure means for selectively actuating said firstand second named means simultaneously or alternatively.

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, means 'for sanding the rail, means for supplying water to the rail, and fluid pressure control means for selectively actuating said first and second named means simultaneously or alternatively.

3. In a device of the class described, in combination, means carried by a locomotive for sanding the rail in advance of a driving wheel, means carried by the locomotive tender for supplying cleaning and lubricating fluid to the rail at a point substantially adjacent the rear truck of said tender and fluid pressure actuated means arranged to be selectively controlled by the engine driver for actuating said first and second named means simultaneously or alternatively.

4. A rail cleaning and lubricating device adapted to be installed on a locomotive comprising, in combination, a valve adapted to be applied directly to an opening in the water tank of the locomotive tender, fluid pressure actuated means for operating said valve, and

6. A rail cleaning and lubricating device adapted to be applied to a locomotive comprising, in combination, a delivery conduit leading from a supply of lubricating fluid to a point near the rail, fluid pressure actuated means for controlling the flow of lubrieating fluid through said conduit, and means for accelerating said flow by the further em ployment of said fluid pressure.

7. In a device of the class described, in combination, a valve member adapted to be applied to an opening in the water tank of a locomotive tender, a conduit leading from said valve member to a point near the rail. and adjacent to one of the wheels of the tender and a guide block to which said conduit is secured adapted to continuously contact the wheel flange.

8. In a device of the class described, in combination, a valve member adapted to be applied to an opening in the water tank of a locomotive tender, a conduit leading from said valve member to a point near the rail and rearwardly of one of the wheels of the tender, a guide block to which said conduit is secured adapted to continuously contact the wheel flange, and a flexible means connect ing said block to the body of said tender for the purpose of retaining said block in the event of the latter becoming disengaged from the Wheel flange.

9. In a rail cleaning andlubricating device, in combination, a valve casing adapted to be applied to an opening in the water tank of a locomotive tender, an inlet passageway and an outlet passageway in said casing, means for conducting water from said outlet passageway to the rail, a valve for controlling the flow of water through said passageways, a piston associated with said valve and adapted to occupy a chamber formed in said casing, a pressure fluid passageway in said chamber, means adapted to be controlled by the engine driver for placing said pressure.

an ejector nozzle associated with said pres surefluid passageway for directing a jet of pressure fluid through said outlet passageway, whereby the velocity of the water applied to the rail may be increased.

10. In a device of the class described, in combination, means carried by a locomotive for sanding the rail in advance of adriving wheel, means carried by the locomotive tender for supplying cleaning and lubricating fluid to the rail at a point rearwardly of said driving wheel, fluid. pressure actuating means for actuating said first and second named means, a source of fluid pressure, and a threeway valve arranged to be selectively controlled by the engine driver for placing said source of fluid pressure in communication with said fluid pressure actuated means simultaneously or alternatively. i

11. A rail cleaning and lubricating device adapted to be'applied to a locomotive comsignature.

- HARRY G. BECKER. 

